Signal



H. J. EAGLE.

SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16, I918.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

SHEETS-SHEET I.

Tlll'! wLuMmA ILANDIIRAI'II to" WASHINGTON, h. c.

H. J. EAGLE.

SIGNAL.

APPLICATION HLED JULY ls. l9l8.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 run COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPII m H HT N, In C- HARRY J. EAGLE, 0F TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA.

SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

Application filed July 16. 1918. Serial No. 245,200.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY J. EAGLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Terre I-Iaute, in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana, haveinvented a new and useful Signal, of which the following is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is a signal, adapted to be mounted on a vehicle for the purpose of indicating the direction in which the vehicle is to turn, and for other purposes. One object of this invention is to improve the construction of the signal proper and another object of the invention is to improve the means whereby the signal is operated and controlled.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to whlch the invention appertains.

With the above and other objectsin View, which will appear as the descrlptlon proceeds, the invention resides in the cominnation and arrangement of parts and 1n the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understoodthat, within the scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the lnventlon shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanyin drawings Figure 1 is a vertica sectional view showing a signal constructed in accordance with the invention, parts appearing in elevation; Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an elevation looking at the dash-board; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the portions of the wall of the rotatable signal; Fig. 6 is a rear elevation showing a slight modification in the invention; and Fig. 7 is a side elevation showing a further modification.

In the drawings, and referring particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, the numeral 1 marks the rear end of an automobile, including a dash-board 2 and a partition 3 located back of the hood. The device forming the subject matter of this application may be assembled in many ways with a vehicle, but, by way of lllustratlon, the'partition 3 is shown carrying a bracket 4 comrising a depending arm 5. A casing 6 is Fixed to the bracket 4. The casing 6 includes a base 7 carried by the bracket 4 and a tubular body 8 made of metal or any other suitable material, the body 8 being attached to the base 7. In the forward side of the body 8, an openin 9 is formed. A lid 10 is mounted removzibly on the upper end of the body S. A bearing 11 is carried by the base 6 of the casing 7 and contains balls 12. A shaft 14 is journaled for rotation in the bearing 11 and has an enlargement 15 supported on the balls 12, the shaft including a read 16 journaled in the bearing 11.

The invention comprises a signal mounted to rotate within the casing 6 along with the shaft 14. The signal comprises a base 17 supported on the head 16 of the shaft 14, there being a nut 18 threaded on the upper end of the shaft, the nut cooperating with the base 17 to hold the same on the upper end of the shaft.

' A plurality of longitudinally grooved posts 19 are secured at their lower ends as shown at 20 to the base 17 of the signal. The signal comprises a wall made up of segments 21, 22, 23 and 24. The longitudinal edges of the segments 21, 22, 23, and 24 are received in the grooves of the posts 19. The segments preferably, are made of glass, colored as desired. The segment 21 is blank. The segment 22 may be marked with the letter It shown at 25, the segment 23 carrying the letterS,as shown at 26, and the segment 24 carrying the letter L, as shown at 27. The segments are supported on the base 17 of the signal. A cover 28 is carried by the upper ends of the wall forming segments and has notches 29 receiving the upper ends of the posts 19. Thus, the cover 28 is held in place for rotation with the main part of the signal. The cover 28 is supplied with a central opening 30.

Disposed above the cover 28, within the casing 6, is a retainer, preferably in the form of a spider 31 including a hub 32 ex tended downwardly through the opening 30 in the cover 28. The ends of two of the arms of the spider 31 are received removably in openings 33 fashioned in the body 8 of the casing 6. The third arm of the spider 31 carries a latch 34, mounted forright-line sliding movement and adapted to be received in another of the openings 33 in the body 8 of the casing (3. The latch 34 may be advanced, and may be held advanced, by means of a cam 35, or like device, movably mounted on that arm of the spider which carries the latch. The construction, ob-

viously, is such that the spider may be mounted in the body 8 of the casing 6, and be removed therefrom. Anti-friction devices, such as Wheels 36, which may be made wholly or in part of rubber, are journaled on the spider 31 and engage the cover 28 of the signal to hold the cover on the upper end of the signal, and to prevent undue movement of the cover.

A thimble 37 is threaded into the hub 32 of the spider 31, or is mounted otherwise therein. A socket 3.8 is carried by the lower end of the thimble, and supports a lamp 39 disposed within the signal. A cap 40 is attached to the upper end of the thimble 37 and carries binding posts 41 receiving conductors 42 leading to the lamp -39. Conductors 33 are assembled with the binding posts 41 and are carried outwardly through an opening 44 in the body 8 of the casing 6.

A beveled pinion 45 is attached to the lower end of the shaft 14 and meshes into a beveled pinion 46 on a shaft 47 journaled for rotation in the arm 5 of the bracket 4 and in the dash-board 2. A plate 48 is attached to the dashboard 2. A crank 49 is carried by the rear end of the shaft 47 to the rear of the plate 48. A latch 50 is fulcrumed intermediate its end on the crank 49 and carries a pin 51 adapted to coperate with any one of a series of openings 52 formed in the plate 48. The outer end of the latch 50 carries a handle 53 provided with recesses 54 into which project a pin 55 supported on the crank 49. A compression spring 56 is located in the recess 54 and surrounds the pin 55, one end of the spring abutting against the handle 53, and the other end of the spring abutting against the crank 49. The function of the spring 56 is to hold the pin 51 releasably in any of the openings 52 in the plate 48.

A shaft 57 is supported for rotation in any desired way, as shown at 61, on the body of the vehicle. A beveled pinion 58 is mounted on the upper end of the shaft 57 and meshes into the beveled pinion 46 on the shaft 47. A beveled pinion 59 is secured to the lower end of the shaft 57 and meshes into a beveled pinion 60 on a horizontal shaft 62 supported for rotation as indicated at 63 on the body of the vehicle. A beveled pinion 64 is attached to the rear end of the shaft 62 and meshes with a beveled pinion 65 on a shaft 14. The numeral 11 indicates a bearing, and the casing is shown at 6 and has an opening 9*, the casing being mounted on a bracket 4 assembled with the rear portion 1 of the vehicle body. The numeral 25 denotes a rotatable signal. The structure shown at the right hand end of Fig. 1, and last above described, is constructed like the forward signal, and therefore, a detailed description need not be entered into.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings, a slight modification of the invention is shown. In Fig. 6, parts hereinbefore described are designated by numerals previously used with the suffix b. In this form of the invention, the casing 6 at the rear of the vehicle is horizontally disposed, instead of being disposed vertically, as in Fig. 1. The numeral 66 marks the rotatable signal.

In Fig. 7, another modification is shown. I In this form of the invention, the casing 67, corresponding to the casing 6, is built into the body 69 of the car, the numeral 68 marking the rotatable signal. The construction shown in Fig. 7 is adapted to use on new cars, under which circumstances, the casing 67 may be made an integral part of the body 69 of the car.

In practical operation, the shaft 47 is rotated by means of the crank 49, the beveled pinion 46 rotating the shaft 14, by means of the beveled pinion 45. The signal, therefore, may be rotated within the casing 6, so as to present any of the parts 21, 22, 28 or 24 of the signal to the opening 9 in the cas- 90 ing 6. In this way, a person approaching the vehicle will be advised thatthe vehicle is about to turn to the right, is about to turn to the left, or that the vehicle has been or is to be stopped. The pin 51 may be engaged in any of the openings 52, and by noting the markings on the plate 48, adjacent the openings 52, the operator will know into which of the openings 52 the pin 51 should be in serted, in order that the signal may present the proper letter 25, 26, or 27 to the opening 9 in the casing 6. The blank part. 21 of the signal ordinarily conveys no information, unless it has been previously agreed by rule that the blank part 21 will constitute a signal, when it appears at the opening 9.

From the shaft 47, motion is transmitted by way of the beveled pinions 46 and 58 to the shaft 57, the shaft 62 being rotated by means of the beveled pinions. 59 and 60. The rear signal is operated from the shaft 62, by way of the bevelel pinions 64 and 65.

The operation of the horizontally disposed rear signal shown in Fig. 6 does not differ materially from the operation of the rear signal shown in Fig. 1, it being obvious that the rear signal 66 of Fig. 6 will be rotated from the shaft 62 by means of, the beveled pinions 64 and 65 Referring to the modification shown in Fig. 8 the numeral 100 designates the lid, corresponding to the lid 10. The lid 100 has a bearing 101 in which is journaled a shaft 102 carrying a pointer 103. On the lower end of the shaft 102 there is a disk 104 which bears, adjacent its periphery, on wheels 105, corresponding to the wheels 36.

It is obvious that when the signal is rotated, the wheels 105 will impart motion to the pointer 103 by way of the disk 104 and the shaft 102, the pointer thus indicating the direction in which the vehicle is to turn.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a fixed casing; a shaft journaled in the casing; a tubular signal carried by the shaft Within the casing and including a removable cover having an opening; a removable retainer in the casing and having lamp supporting means extended through the opening; and an antifriction device carried by the retainer and engaging the cover.

2. In a device of the class described, a fixed casing having openings; a shaft journaled in the casing; a tubular signal carried by the shaft Within the casing; a spider having certain of its arms mounted in certain of the openings of the casing; a latch carried by another of the arms of the spider and received in another of the openings of the casing; and a lamp carried by the spider and extended into the signal.

3. In a device of the class described, a

fixed casing; a shaft journaled in the cas- 7 ing; a signal comprising a base secured to the shaft, posts upstanding from the base, a Wall assembled with the posts, and a cover supported on the Wall, the cover having an copies of this patent may be obtained for opening and being provided with notches receiving the upper ends of the posts; a retainer in the casing above the cover, the retainer having means for engaging the cover to hold the same interlocked With the posts, and a lamp carrying means mounted on the retainer and cooperating With the opening in the cover.

4. In a device of the class described, a fixed casing; a shaft journaled in the easing; a tubular signal carried by the shaft Within the casing and including a removable cover having an opening; a removable retainer in the casing and having lamp supporting means extended through the opening; a lid on the casing; a shaft journaled in the lid; a disk carried by the shaft and located below the lid; a pointer on the shaft and located above the lid; and wheel journaled on the retainer, the Wheel engaging the cover and the disk.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

HARRY J. EAGLE.

Witnesses:

Fomms'r R. OASEBEER, ADA M. Hmzs'r.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. 0. 

